L'Auberge Chez Francois loves special events! From Cooking Demos and Lunches led by Chef Jacques Haeringer; to Wine, Champagne and Artisinal Beer Dinners with Paul and Alex, Our Garden to Table Grand Dinners on our lovely outdoor terrace; Our new music series dinners at L'Auberge events, and so many more. See our website for a complete list of our special events, and sign up for our monthly newsletter delivered right to your inbox! Our special events sell out quickly. Here's our link.

Welcome to L'Auberge Chez François, our French country inn a short distance from the nation's capital that has captivated visitors for over 64 years. L'Auberge Chez François is the ideal spot to celebrate special moments, private parties, luncheons, weddings and cooking demonstrations. Our menu is extensive and full of the flavors of Alsace and traditional French cuisine. Excellent food and service, attention to detail and a casually elegant atmosphere are hallmarks that have made L'Auberge Chez François a Washington favorite! We hope that you will enjoy your visit with us. Should you not see your preferred time to dine with us, please call us at 703-759-3800.

The evening started out well. My husband & I arrived at 5:15p & were taken to our table. It was early, so the restaurant wasn’t busy. We ordered drinks & at 5:30p the other couple in our party arrived. They ordered wine and with it the waiter brought out a bread basket. The bread was delicious.

An hour past before our waiter finally returned with the menus. He explained the specials & made some recommendations. By the time we placed our order it was nearly 7:00p.

I ordered the French Onion Soup, Mescaline Salad with Maine Lobster & lump crab. My husband order the Dover Sole & the other couple ordered two of the specials: one seafood & another fish dish.

It was 7:30p when our first course arrived. I wanted to see how well Chez Fran. could make French Onion Soup. Sadly, you can find better versions of this soup at La Madeline’s & save yourself the 2-hour wait.

The next course, salad, was promptly served. Again, it was a passable plate of seasoned lettuces - nothing special.

Nearly 3 hours in & the main course finally arrived. My Maine Lobster with Lump Crab looked beautiful. So you can imagine how frustrated I was when I discovered the lobster was extremely over cooked & rubbery. I took a bite of the crab meat and got a mouthful of shell. So, I tried the green beans and felt grit/sand when I bit into them.

That was it. I sent my dish back. I was not going to pay $85 dollars & wait 3 hours for overcooked, under-seasoned & ill-prepared food. The manager offered another dish, but the rest of my party was nearly done & it was already well past 8:00p. I said no thank you.

The manager offered to deduct 50% my meal & I agreed. When the bill arrived, only $40 was deducted. So, I paid $45 for a lousy cup of soup and plate of wilted lettuces.

DON’T BOTHER waiting your time or money here. The prices are RIDICULOUSLY over inflated. Go to Bistro Bis (DC) or Bistro L’Hermitage (Occoquan) if you want fine French cuisine and good service.

By far the best all around meal / dining experience I've had in quite a while. Let's not forget, that it is a high end pricey restaurant. But in this case you certainly get what you pay for. If you want an exquisite dining experience check out L'Auberage Chez Francois.I had the Lobster special - so so good!My wife had a veal dish that was perfect. She did rave the most about the Roquefort Salad. Sommelier was at my table as I picked up the wine list. He was very interactive, and did not try to up-sell the wine. I was actually looking at a white burgundy, and he said for what I wanted a cheaper bottle than I picked was a far better value. It was outstanding!My Kudos to the Chef & Staff.I plan to return.

Took my girlfriend for her birthday and L’Auberge was PERFECT. L’Auberge is my new standar against which all other dining experiences will be measured. We felt pampered yet comfortable. Food and wine were exquisite.

Warm and charming setting, gracious service and wonderful food made this a wonderful birthday dinner. When I was struggling to try something different on this visit instead of picking between two favorites as I usually do. Our server asked a few questions about my tastes and recommended a couple of new choices -- including an oyster appetizer slightly outside my normal comfort zone. Delicious! It pays to listen to a knowledgeable staff member and I was enjoyed every bite of an outstanding meal.

I wish I had gotten everyone’s name because the excellent service started as soon as we walked in the door. The woman that greeted us was adorable, our waiter Jefferson, was excellent and when we were leaving they accommodated us by taking pictures. The food as expected was fabulous. We all shared and everything was perfectly cooked and seasoned. We couldn’t have been a better evening. Thanks to all who made it so nice.

I confess this is our second visit this week. I also confess I prefer “Old School” gracious dining with trusted recipes. We recommend L’Auberge Chez Francois to visitors and friends because we are confident their experience will be superb.

OK, we are Groupies of this establishment. I will so stipulate. No person I know, over the last twenty years, have called me out for a bad recommendation. Go. Enjoy. Smile.

We have used L'Auberge for special events on and off since 1989...it is our "local" now...but this week the service at lunch was very disappointing. In particular, the entree for one of my guests came after the rest of the party has finished theirs! The rest of the service was just mediocre. I get the sense the lunch team is not well supervised.

The bouillabaisse and roquefort apple tart were fabulous beginnings to an amazing dinner! The beef tenderloins and the Dover sole were both outstanding, and the divine chocolate and Grand Marnier souffles added the memorable finishing touches. Jose provided absolutely perfect service - attentive and superbly paced.

My boyfriend and I love L‘Auberge Chez Francois. We come every year for our anniversary (6 years) and and a few other special occasions in between. We always have a fantastic experience. Firstly the food is delicious which is my boyfriend‘s favorite part. Secondly the ambiance and service is impeccable which is my favorite part. I love a good dress up date night and this is it. It is pricey, but the cost is equal to the quality and unlike some other upscale restaurants the portions are not tiny! Also, cocktails are on point. Thank you L‘Auberge Chez Francois!

We have been coming to L'Auberge for decades and it's always delicious and memorable, reminding us of why it's been a favorite near DC for so long. This trip for a Saturday luncheon was to celebrate my mom's retirement, and the chef responded to my request to specially prepare a salmon en croute entree for two that we remembered from many years ago. The preparation was stellar, just as we remembered, and them going the extra mile to make her celebration that much more special was really touching. Other dishes enjoyed were the lobster salad, bouillabaisse, mushroom and chive crepe, chocolate souffle and plum tart. As always, the food was delicious and comforting, the service attentive and engaging without being invasive, and the ambiance was cozy. I should also mention that the lunch at $45/person not counting any special orders/drinks is really a steal! We were stuffed to the rafters, making this a bargain for the high quality food, great service, courses/portions and ambiance. We never tire of coming here, and were so appreciative of the special care they lavished on us for this occasion. Looking forward to our next visit!

It was a superb visit! All enjoyed and raves about venue, food, service and company! Fantastic job and thanks for letting everyone feel so special and appreciated during our dining experience! Sammie took great care of us and all the other helpers were very attentive! We will love to visit again soon! Happy New Year to all!!! Keep up the great work!

We have been coming here for 21 years! And it has always been exceptional!! My husband surprised me for my 30th birthday where we sat at the “lover’s table.” Over two decades later, we celebrated another birthday with our three sons, who loved it as much as we do. (And in between we have celebrated our engagement, babies, Mother’s Day and Father’s Day). This is a wonderful restaurant that nothing else in this area can match.

Every aspect of our visit was perfect. The place looked great -- the holiday decorations were still up and its worth the visit to see the beautiful lights. Service was fantastic but not stuffy. And we were never rushed. It was the perfect night to spend a wonderful evening talking, eating, and sharing. And the food was spectacular as always. The lamb chops were seasoned and cooked perfectly . The mussels appetizer turned out to be better than I could have imagined. (very plump, nice garlic butter). Wine selection is huge --hard to make a choice, but wine prices were reasonable. The outside fire was burning brightly, and if I wasn't driving, I would have welcomed a brandy and coffee by the fire. I will save that for my next visit.

My family and I (five of us) went to lunch on New Year's Eve and had a fabulous time. You can't beat the setting at holiday time, when colorful strings of lights outside and in celebrate the season and real logs blaze in the fireplaces. We snagged one of the last reservations; I was worried that the kitchen staff might be overwhelmed, but they're used to it. After a slow start, the service was perfectly paced. Every course was top-notch, particularly the charcuterie appetizer (which featured enough pate and sausages to make a meal), the trout entree, and the bread pudding. There's a fine list of wines by the glass, and my daughter-in-law loved her mixed drink--the maple leaf, I think. It was a wonderful way to celebrate the end of the year and to look forward to more special occasions at L'Auberge Chez Francois in 2019!

Took my fiancé here for a New Year's date and man, did it blow us away. Such a beautiful building and dinner room, very quiet, and perfect service. The food was unbelievable and there was so much of it too.

L'Auberge Chez Francois never disappoints - great wine and food selections, excellent value, service that exceeds even the highest standards, wonderful ambience. We eat there 4-5 times a year and it is consistently outstanding.

I have lived in DC over seven decades and never been to this restaurant. A terrible oversight. We had Sunday lunch, which is pretty much the dinner menu, only a little cheaper. It is a prix fixe menu at prices from about $43 to $55. This sounds high until you realize it includes an appetizer, salad, entree and dessert, all of which were excellent among the four in my party. The service was so good we commented upon it at the meal -- not overly intrusive, allows for time to make selections, courteous and about as efficient as you would want for a French county restaurant. I had the veal, which was very good. But the pear tart appetizer and the mousse cake dessert really stay in my memory. It is a bit of a trek from DC to Great Falls, but it is really not that time consuming (folks commute to DC from their huge houses in Great Falls). Definitely plan to makeup for my oversight in what years I have left with a visit several times a year.

My wife and I make it a point to go to L"Auberge Chez Francois every year, usually around the time of our anniversary. The food, service, ambiance, and overall experience never disappoint us. We recommend this restaurant heartily to all of our friends. It is not an inexpensive evening out, but it is worth every penny.

We had another fabulous evening at this outstanding restaurant. It’s more than a fine meal. It’s a memorable experience with friends and family. The food is consistently excellent and the service was world class. If you haven’t been here you are missing a treat.